Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that American forces of the 96th Infantry Division had captured Yonabaru airfield and the 480-foot summit of Conical Hill on Okinawa the previous day and Sunday. The hill represented the primary observation post left to the Japanese on the island and afforded a good launching point for an assault on the Shuri fortifications in the center part of the line. Breaching that line would be, said a commanding officer, the climax of the bloody drive and everything afterward would be downhill. Yonabaru was the fourth captured airfield.

Offshore, a Navy battlewagon was pounding at the Shuri fortifications but with little effect, the 25 shells appearing "to bounce off like a rubber ball."

The 6th Marine Division continued its fight in northern Naha, but remained on the other side of the Asato River from the capital. A commanding officer predicted that the price would be high for crossing the Asato and finally taking Naha.

On Luzon, Balete Pass was taken Sunday by the 25th and 37th Divisions following weeks of hard fighting. Fully 7,000 enemy dead were counted in a narrow 75-foot defile between high mountains; it was expected that the toll would reach 20,000 when those in the caves were counted.

Now the way was clear into the Cagayan Valley floor where tanks and flame-throwers could be utilized. The 25th and 37th were headed toward Santa Fe to join with the 32nd Division on the Villa Verde trail two miles away.

East of Manila, the 43rd Division tightened its ring around the enemy at Ipo Dam.

On Mindanao, the Japanese made six banzai charges against the American troops on Saturday and Sunday, while naval guns on the northern tip of nearby Samal Island shelled American lines on the mainland. The 31st Division eliminated a previously by-passed company of Japanese between Kibawe and Maramag in North Central Mindanao.

Sixty miles north on the Sayre Highway, the 40th Division consolidated Del Monte air center as guerillas took Gagayan, completing American control of the north coast.

On Tarakan off Borneo, the Dutch and Australian troops made local gains.

The Australians on Wewak drove three miles inland from Wewak village in mop-up operations.

Heavy bombers struck transport lines along the French Indo-China coast, knocking out bridges and trains.

From the record 500 B-29 raid on Nagoya the previous day, only three planes were reported to have been lost, one of the crews having been rescued. The successful raid was said to have likely caused heavy casualties because of the heavily populated industrial areas of the city which were fire-bombed with napalm.

Supreme Allied Headquarters clarified that the Doenitz Government was not in any manner in authority in Germany but was serving to provide some semblance of order to the surrender.

James Long reports that Headquarters had anticipated at the time of D-Day a shorter fight in Europe by up to five months. The longer period resulted from the German decision to continue to fight after its final collapse in the heart of the Reich.

The decisions in North Africa in May, 1943 to seize Bizerte, in Italy to cut off all of the southern peninsula below Rome at Anzio in winter and spring, 1944, and the attempt beginning in September to try to capture Arnhem in Holland, all prolonged the war.

The Congressional mission of six Senators and six Representatives who had toured for two weeks the concentration camps in Western Europe, at Dachau, Buchenwald, and Nordhausen, beginning April 22, released their report stating that the Nazis had conducted a systematic program of "planned torture and extermination". The report described the pogrom as "no less than organized crime against civilization and humanity". It recommended swift and certain punishment for those responsible, but indicated that the War Crimes Commission in London was adequate to the task of recommending the establishment of a war crimes tribunal.

It related that "prisoners of distinction" at Dachau were afforded boards on which to kneel before being shot, and then were provided wooden coffins.

At San Francisco, Russia was said to be holding the key to final agreement on the issues of the trusteeships and the regional defense blocs. Andrei Gromyko, now the chief Russian delegate in the absence of Foreign Commissar Molotov who had returned to Moscow, referred both issues to the Kremlin for resolution. The Russian stance was not precisely known.

Meanwhile, the United States and Great Britain had ironed out virtually all of their disagreements on these two issues. France and China were also on board.

A recommendation by a conference committee had made it likely that France would be included as a permanent member of the Security Council. Dumbarton Oaks had only proposed in October that France would become a member "in due course"—which, of course, could have meant until Hell froze over.

It was also determined in committee that the Secretary-General of the United Nations would be elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, consistent with Dumbarton Oaks.

President Truman announced that he looked forward soon to holding a conference with the other Big Three heads of state, but that it would not take place before the end of the San Francisco Conference. Prime Minister Churchill echoed the hope for a meeting soon.

Thirty-five German U-boats had surrendered to American and British ports, including one in Cape May, N. J. It was believed that another 15 to 25 were still at large. At the peak of U-boat activity in mid-1943, there had been 150 plying the Atlantic and Caribbean at any given time.

Japan abrogated all of its treaties with Germany and other European countries on the basis that Japan was not consulted before the German surrender.

Herr Doktor Goebbels was said to be very concerned and would consult Herr Hitler immediately regarding this crucial oversight; both would make available gladly a spot on their bench in Hell for former Premier Hideki Tojo to discuss it at considerable length.

On the editorial page, "Foretaste" discusses a traffic jam on Wilkinson Boulevard, then the main artery into Charlotte, for Sunday's air show, being, with loosened gas rationing, a sign of the shape of things to come. Clogged highways would become the norm, it predicts, in short order. The Planning Commission would need take up the matter of streets and highways to accommodate better the increased traffic.

"[O]ver the hill are thousands of automobiles, coming this way."

"A Confusion" discusses the lack of preparedness of Americans for victory, something of which the columnists had warned for months. It cites the examples reported the previous day, the chicken and peas for Hermann Goering, the retention of champagne and caviar stocks by the Germans captured in Berchtesgaden, the general haughty swagger, not the hang-dog of defeat, all in the face of American troops who did not know what to do.

"Wanted: 1,000" addresses the drive by the Charlotte Mint Museum for public support, but limiting its goal to a thousand memberships. In its twelve-year history, it had always relied on small numbers of patrons, having been established by two women. Usually on Sundays, some 400 to 500 people crowded into its doors, which were just enough to keep it going. The thousand memberships would enable it to attract better exhibits.

In earlier times, its chief draw had been of young people peeking into the windows at night to view posing models with little adornment. But now it was growing of age and was spreading appreciation of the arts through the community and among people of all ages.

"And even in a community which has shown by its disinterest that it cares little for this precious influence, there should be recognition for a job well done."

"University Furore" describes a controversy which had arisen over the hiring and firing by the Office of War Information of University of North Carolina professor W. P. Friedrich. He was fired, based on protest by other professors, for his having authored a pamphlet in 1938 which was described as "pro-Nazi".

Parenthetically, the episode stood in stark contrast to that which had taken place at the College of William and Mary in February.

Mr. Couch, incidentally, had invited W. J. Cash to speak on his book at the Bull's Head Book Shop in April, 1941, a fateful invitation which he accepted.

The excerpt from the Congressional Record has Representative Alfred Bulwinkle of Mecklenburg opposing the proposed $2,500 expense allowance for each member of the House, his argument being premised on the heavy war indebtedness of the country, estimated to reach 300 billion dollars by the conclusion of the Pacific war.

In the midst of his urging his colleagues to consider the extravagance in such times, Congressman Andrew May of Kentucky asked Mr. Bulwinkle how many Congressmen had chauffeurs and big cars as did the bureaucrats of Washington, to which Mr. Bulwinkle inquired as to whether the stipend was desired for hiring big cars and chauffeurs. Mr. May replied that it was not and Mr. Bulwinkle said that he hoped it wasn't.

Drew Pearson discusses General Marshall's concerns anent which officers would leave Europe for the Pacific and which would come back to the United States. Too many of them wanted to go to the Pacific, especially those who had been in the roles of supply and communications in Europe behind the lines, anxious now to get into the fight. Some had even expressed a willingness to be reduced in rank so that they might be sent to the Pacific. General Patton, a four-star general, was one of those identified by General Marshall as being willing to take a demotion to continue fighting.

Marquis Childs discusses former Democratic National Committee treasurer Ed Pauley who was heading to Moscow to become a member of the Allied Reparations Commission. Mr. Pauley had made his estimated 20 million-dollar fortune in oil and was at odds with Secretary of Interior Harold Ickes regarding private offshore oil drilling off the California coast, intended by Mr. Ickes to be retained under Federal protection.

Samuel Grafton examines the passing from American life of President Roosevelt after twelve years in office. Suddenly, a month after his death, his name no longer appeared in whole issues of newspapers across the country. So, Mr. Grafton looks to see what had been lost.

A letter writer complains that Charlotte's City Council had done little to improve the conditions in the black community, especially with respect to the high murder rate. Four black police officers were responsible primarily for the patrolling duties in an area occupied by 35,000 residents.

Another letter writer takes considerable umbrage at the story from the previous day on the friendly exchange between Maj. General Dahlquist and Hermann Goering, stating that the A. P. report had indicated that the two exchanged pleasantries about mutual Swedish background following Herr Goering's inquiry as to the origin of General Dahlquist's last name.

The letter writer had the urge to shoot Hermann on sight, reading of him chit-chatting while "the stench of the rotting human flesh with which he littered the world is still strong in humanity's nostrils."

He would get his wish of retribution, within 17 months.